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"Come on Athalia, you've got to come, even Sharlene is coming!" Sharlene is the quietist in the group, she only goes out so that she still is a member of the friendship group. None of us give a fuck about her, we've just known her since forever, so she never leaves. However Marie is my best friend, I would say that she is the loudest of the group, she isn't scared to express who she is. She would shout it at the top of her lungs and still wouldn't care that the entire of town square was staring at her like a weirdo. But I lover her.

Marie is trying to convince me to go to this party that the boys in our English Language Lecture is holding at their house, but I don't want to go. When we get there, the music is going to be shit and the house is going to be full of rich kids who don't have to go to rely on a loan to cover their living expenses.

"I'm not going Marie, you already know what it's going to be like. Remember what happened last time?" Her faces goes from full of excitement and cheerfulness to dull and plain. "Athalia, that's not going to happen again. Just come, you can stay stuck to my side for the evening if you want." Does she really think that I want to waste three hours of my evening to go to a party I don't want to go to and be stuck by Marie's side for the entire time. No.

But I can't resist her puppy eyes and gleaming smile. "I let a small smile show on me, to prove that I am being genuine. "Fine, I'll come with you, but I'm not staying for long." Running towards me, she squeals down my ear. "Yay! Athalia is coming to a party everyone!"

I'm living in a University House, so I live with four girls and two boys. Marie, Sharlene, Samantha, Kiara, Tim and George. Me and George are the closest out of us all, that's why he is giving me pity eyes while leaning on my bedroom door. No one can see him except me. "Okay, come on we've got to get ready."

Marie grabs my hands, and squeezes them tightly. I feel my body rip from my safe space. My body already aches, wanting to lay back down on the warm and comfy cushions and blanket. "So, I've got this dress that I think will fit you perfectly, since you don't own anything party worthy." As she takes the dress out of her bag from Louis Vuitton, she tries handing me the dress. But I immediately start shaking my head.

"You've already got me to come, I will wear what I'm comfortable in." Marie nods and puts the dress back in the bag. "Okay, but don't come crying back to me when your not getting laid tonight." Marie can be such a bitch sometimes, but we've been through thick and thin together, so I think that I need to stay friends with her since we've been so much together.

"Okay. Whatever, can you all leave so that I can get changed please?" Without questions, they all leave me alone in my bedroom. Flopping back onto my bed, I release a large sigh that I never knew I needed. My house-mates can be a bit much. They all think that partying is cool and a way of experiencing the university experience.

But I don't want to. All the films that I've watched and have been based off the University experience don't go well. They end up in heartbreak and sadness after a massive breakup. And after not once having a boyfriend, I think that I'm on a winning streak and I should stick in my career mode. That's what dad would of wanted and I don't want to break my death-bed promises.

I grip the necklace that my dad gave me three days before his cancer got worse and led to him passing. It was his silver chain with my grandma's promise ring to my dad. It was really cute, when I was younger I asked my dad on repeat to tell me the story of why he got that ring. And every time he would say that his mum, my grandma, wanted her love for him to be eternal and last forever, even if the mortality of being human affects this.

Which is why my dad gave it me when I turned sixteen. I cried for at least an hour that day, I thought that I would never be able to get that necklace, or my sister Pixie would get to have it, but no, dad thought that I was worthy of it. And I am, I am never going to lose it, otherwise I could never forgive myself.

I get disturbed by a knock on my door. Using my arms as support, I get myself up and straighten out my shirt. "Come in!" I know that it's one of the boys, since if it was one of the girls they would of found it unnecessary to knock and to just walk on in. The door ajars slightly. It's George.

I give him a slight smile, signalling to him that he is welcomed in. "Hi" his masculine voice echoes. "Hi, sit down." I pat the bed next to me. He does as I ask. "What did you need?" His face isn't as happy and bright as it is anymore. I see tears brimming his eyes. "My mom just passed away." His voice comes out as a bare whisper. "I found out this morning, the funeral is in three days in Italy."

Without having to think I move closer to him and take his figure in to a hug. His face falls into my neck and I feel his wet tears fall down it. My tears start brimming to, I rarely saw Debbie, but she was an amazing woman, and she was too young to die. God shouldn't of took her yet, she had so much left.

"I'm sorry." I feel his face rise from my neck, "Why would you be sorry for, you wasn't the one who murdered her." He spits out, his voice cracking. "I know, but she didn't deserve what happened to her. Do you want to stay in my bed tonight?" He nods, "Please". I nod repeatedly, "Of course, I'll text the girls saying that I'm not coming and staying home okay?" He doesn't say anything, his face stays still. Small tears still fall down his face. I know internally that his heart is aching, no matter what you've been through with you parents, if they have tried to kill you or have been the best parent out there, when they die you will still be forever affected by their absence. Whether that absence is full of love or hatred, you will always have a gut feeling missing.

And I know how George feels, because I've been in his shoes. I've felt what he's feeling, I've cried the same tears he has, still do. I get up from my place on the bed to walk over to my dresser for my phone. I open WhatsApp to the house group-chat. 'Sorry guys, but something came up, I can't come anymore, don't come to my room either!' I try not to tell them about George's current state since it's George's choice on who he wants to tell.

I just feel proud of him for being able to come to me for support. I lay my phone back on the dresser and walk towards my door and lock it so that no one can disturb George for if he is sleeping. He probably doesn't want anyone to see him in his weak mental state. George is known in the house as the man who never cries or laughs with anyone, but I don't see him as that. I've seen him laugh and I've seen him cry, he is the most human person I've ever met and to call him emotionless is dick-ish.

Laying back down next to him, I straighten his legs out and tuck him into the blankets, making sure that my bed is twice as comfortable tonight. "Athalia?" He mumbles from beneath the sheets. "Yes?" I reply. "Will you come with me to Italy? The plane leaves tomorrow and I think that you would be great support for me."

I cuddle up from behind him, spooning him. "Of course, of course I will George. Now try to get some sleep. Okay?" He doesn't reply but closes his eyes none the less. His lashes droop down to his cheeks from how long they are. I stroke his soft, fluffy brown hair, calming his breathing down as he gently falls to sleep.

After ten minutes of watching him sleep and twitch, I end up falling asleep, letting my face fall between his neck and shoulder. I hope he is going to be okay this weekend.

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